Pre-Press for Mark Webber's Art Print, Part One

So finally it's coming together! Mark Andrew Webber, my current artist on press, mailed me his carved linoleum from the UK about a month ago and I'm getting ready print it! But first, there are few things that need to be prepped...

1) Here's how I got the artwork, carved on a piece of linoleum






















2) I had to cut down a piece of 3/4" thick plywood as a base for the linoleum in order to get it type-high and printable.


















3) Took some linoleum glue and spread it on the base with a trowel.



















































4) Waited for the glue to set then ta-da! We have our form ready to set up on the press!


















Mark suggested that maybe the heart in the center of the carving should be a different color from the background. This offered a bit of a challenge since the lino is meant for just one color, but just a minor setback--there's always a bit of trouble shooting involved in printing! As the saying goes: "STOP! THINK! THERE MUST BE A HARDER WAY!" Words to live by if you're thinking about becoming a printer ;)

For more info on Mark, visit his site at markandrewebber.com